Downtown workers eyeing the darkened corner at McGee and 12th can stop wondering what happened to their coffee stop. Waterbird Coffee Company, which shut its doors this spring, is set to return in mid‑August under new owners Adraina and Matt Holopirek. The pair is keeping the Waterbird name and address, targeting the weekday crowd with early‑morning hours and promising a refreshed space with more seating and a slightly bigger drink lineup when the shop reopens.
New owners, same address
Adraina and Matt Holopirek, who took over ownership earlier this year, told The Kansas City Star they plan to relaunch Waterbird at the familiar corner of McGee and 12th, opening from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. They also plan to host community events and occasionally extend hours for special evenings and private gatherings. Inside, the couple expects to add couches, bistro tables and bar‑height seating to tilt the shop from strictly grab‑and‑go toward a true neighborhood hangout. According to the City of Kansas City's Parcel Viewer on kcmo.gov, property and ownership details for 1200 McGee can be accessed through the city's parcel map.
Menu and lineup
“I’ll be here 24/7 interacting with customers,” Matt Holopirek said, according to The Kansas City Star, pitching a very hands‑on approach behind the bar. Waterbird plans to stock pastries and grab‑and‑go items from Kansas City bakery Scratch KC, including pop‑tarts, cookies, muffins, breakfast burritos and bagels, and will serve coffee roasted by Foxen Coffee Company of Monett. The updated menu is set to feature signature and seasonal lattes such as butterscotch and brown‑sugar‑cinnamon, along with matcha and chai. Two lemonade‑based drinks and two energy beverages are also in the works, and the shop will seal some canned drinks in‑store with a machine the owners are bringing in.
Where Waterbird fits downtown
Waterbird first opened in November 2022 and quickly built a steady breakfast crowd from nearby city offices, according to Flatland. Its location in the Central Business District made it a convenient stop for downtown workers. One of the shop’s original partners left earlier this year to start a new concept in Waldo, as reported by Kansas City Magazine, which put the storefront back on the market this spring. The Holopireks say they hope to bring some stability back to the corner and reestablish Waterbird as a reliable downtown coffee option.
The new owners expect to flip the space, hire baristas and reopen by mid‑August, with a soft opening planned before a more public relaunch. If that schedule holds, downtown Kansas City should see Waterbird back in action in time for the late‑summer surge of courthouse business and nearby events.
